Collapsible bathtub



April 18, 1950 M. B. BURROW I 2,504,646

COLLAPSIBLE BATHTUB Filed March 5, 1946 Inventor ./WJH YBHy/ve: f77/@Hummm By www z5? Patented Apr. 18, 1950 PATENT OFFICE asma COLLAPSIBLE BA'IQHTUB Maryruncttie Burrow, CPF-Pilsiiristiyeir, ApplicatiomMarchvS, 1946,;V Serial-No. (ihr542318h1jA Claims.

The invention as described herein, and illustrated inV the accompanying drawings consists of al 'bath tub, an object of which is to provide a tub so formed that it may beA collapsed to'v the substantial thickness of a piece of bednciothing whereby it may be placed beneath a bedridden person as is ua bed` sheet withouthhaving toulifzt the person and the side Wallsrof, the tub'tlien raised to hold-water or medicated or medicinal liquid.

Another object oi` the invention is to provide a collapsible tub, the side Walls of which may be raised after a patient has been placed therein.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tub of rubber or waterprooied material having inilatable side walls whereby they may be caused to raise vertically.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a iiexible tub means whereby the side walls thereof may be adjustably held in vertical position.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of Figure l, the tub being shown collapsed,

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above referred to drawings, it is to be understood that it is merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any way departing from the spirit and intention of the device which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary field of utility of the invention it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout and in which Ill has reference to the complete invention which consists of a collapsible, preferably rubber, tub II, all of the walls, I2, I3, I4, I5, and I6, are doubled and so spaced as to provide relatively narrow intercommunicating cavities Il; I8; i9, 20, ZI. 22, 2?, and

2.13 in the 'side end and bottom walls betweenr and hold erect all of the side walls and the inner layer 28. oi the bottom wall. TheA device may be employed on a suitable support, asthe mattress;

Gil. Cavity 2liis centrally"enlar'ged in order to yform a pillow 2 9 when the device isiniiated. The

said-layer 28 oflthe bottom Wall may be caught transversely to the bottom outer layer 30 of the bottom wall I li, as indicated at lines 3I, 32, and 33, in order to provide tuftings 34 upon which an invalid may more comfortably lie. Projecting through one of the side walls (I5 for instance) is a tube 35 having a cut off valve 3E and through means of which tube water in the tub may be drawn off.

The above described tub may easily be slipped under a bedridden person and then inflated and water or other liquid poured in to bathe or soak the patient and the device may be as easily removed by withdrawing the liquid and deflating the tub.

From the foregoing specification it Will become apparent that the invention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for which it has been designed and in an economical manner and that its simplicity, accuracy and ease of operation are such as to provide a relatively inexpensive device considering what it will accomplish and that it will nnd an import-ant place in the art to which it appertains when once placed on the market.

It is thought that persons skilled in the :art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come Within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

Having now described the invention, that which is claimed to be new and desired to be procured by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible tub comprising inflatable walls, an inatable bottom connecting and communicating with said walls, said bottom having a lower layer and a spaced upper layer, valve means extending through one of said walls, said upper layer spaced and sloping relative to said bottom layer for assisting in draining.

2. A collapsible tub comprising inatable walls, an inflatable bottom connecting and communicating with said walls, said bottom having a lower layer and a spaced upper layer, valve means extending through one of said walls, said upper layer spaced and sloping relative to said bottom layer for assisting in draining, a raised portion in said upper layer and spaced from said walls for receiving a persons head thereon.

3. A collapsible receptable comprising resilient walls, means for iniiating said walls, a resilient lower member attached to said walls, an upper resilient member fixed to said lower member and spaced therefrom forming an air pocket therebetween, said upper resilient member slopingly disposed with respect to said walls, valve means associated with a wall and positioned at substantially the lowest slope portion of said upper member.

4. A collapsible receptacle comprising resilient walls,V means for inlating said walls, a resilient lower member attached to said walls, an upper resilient member fixed to said lower member and spaced therefrornforming an air pocket therebetween, said upper resilient member slopingly disposed relative to one of said walls, valve means associated with a wall and positioned at substantially the lowest slope portion of said upper member, said inating means comprising a tube communicating with one of said walls.

5. A collapsible bath tub receptacle comprisber spaced from said walls for resting a portion of a persons body thereon.

MARY BRUN ETTIE BURROW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 568,811 Stoll Oct. 6, 1896 573,625 Rufner Dec. 22, 1896 736,089 Gray Aug. 11, 1903 755,747 Colle Mar. 29, 1904 957,892 Laurila May 17, 1910 1,279,944 Tolman Sept. 24, 1918 1,451,437 Bernier Apr. l0, 1923 1,738,411 Welch Dec. 3, 1929 2,084,236 Babb June 15, 1937 2,329,326 Bloomberg Sept. 14, 1943 

